Journal box cover



O :t. 22, 1935. E. R. VlBERG 2,018,428

JOURNAL BOX COVER Filed 0'01. 50, 1955 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ERNESTJRNIBEHGIATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1935. I I E. R. VIBERG JOURNAL BOX COVER 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ERNEST-R-VIBERGI Filed Oct. 30, 1933 ATTORNEYOct.22, 1935. E, R] VIBERG I JOURNAL BOX COVER Filed Oct. 50, 1955SSheets-Sheet s E INVENIOR 5.11m BERG Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to covers for journal boxes and particularly tocovers of the hooded type in which the lid portion is carried by a hoodthat fits over and is pivotally secured to the journal box lug andserves as a housing for a torsion spring which reacts against thecentral portion of the lid and the cam faces of the lug to hold thecover in closed or open position.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of animproved cover assembly of this type which may be very easily applied tothe journal box or removed therefrom.

Another object is the provision of a novel form of shoe through whichthe pressure of the torsion spring is exerted against the journal boxlug in a more eflicient manner for holding the lid tightly against themouth of the journal box opening when the lid is in its closed position.

A still further object is to design the aforementioned shoe so that aretaining pin may be conveniently passed through complementary openingsin the shoe and in the wall of the hood to hold the torsion spring andshoe in a retracted position to facilitate the application and removalof the cover assembly.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of the invention,reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is afront view of a cover assembly provided in accordance with thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 22 of Fig. 1. In thisview the cover assembly is shown appli d to the journal box.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the lid portion of thecover slightly removed from the mouth opening of the journal box.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figs. 2 and 3 but showing the cover assemblyin its fully opened position.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section of the shoe through which thepressure of the torsion spring is applied to the journal box lug.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the shoe in side elevation.

Fig. 7 is a top plan of the shoe.

Fig. 8 is a view of the shoe in front elevation.

Fig. 9 is a front view, partly broken away, of a modified cover assemblyprovided in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view along the line ill-l!) of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of a shoe forming part of the assemblyappearing in Figs. 9 and 10.

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of the shoe shown, in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of said last mentioned shoe.

As shown in these drawings, my improved cover assembly comprises a lidII, a hood I2, a torsion spring l3 and a shoe M. The lid II is in the 5form of an imperforate plate adapted, in the closed position of thecover assembly, to fit snugly against the front face of the journal box[5 so as to completely close the journal box opening I 6. The hood l2comprises a top wall l1, side walls l0 l8 and a front wall I9. The upperportions of the side walls l8 are provided with integral pintlereceiving sleeves 20 and 200. which are aligned in the journal box lug2] to receive the hinge pintle 22. In the present instance the pintlereceiving 15 sleeve 20 is provided with a stop flange 23 for engagementwith one end of the pintle while the companion sleeve 20ais fitted witha tubular pintle retainer 24 having pintle retaining tongues 25 adaptedto be bent inwardly over the opposite 20 end of the pintle. This methodof securing the pintle in place is more fully described in my copendingapplication Serial No. 653,870, filed Jan. 27, 1933.

The side walls l8 of the hood project below the 25 front wall H! toapproximately the middle portion of the lid H and are provided at theirlower extremities with openings 26 registering with similar openings 21formed in lugs 28 cast integral with the outer face of the lid. Thespring I3 comprises two coils 29 and 30 connected by an intermediateU-shaped extension 3| which constitutes an integral continuation of theinner terminal convolutions of the coils and carries the shoe I4. Theouter convolutions of the coils 29 and 30 are extended to provide a pairof side arms 32 having their lower ends bent outwardly to providepin-like portions 32a which extend outwardly through the openings 21 ofthe lugs 28 and through the registering openings 26 of the hood, thusaffording a pivotal connection between the central portion of the lidand the side walls of the hood. This type of pivotal connection betweenthe hood and lid is more fully described and claimed in my co-pendingapplication No. 653,870, filed Jan. 27, 1933. In this prior applicationI have also shown and described various connections between the upperportions of the hood and lid for limiting their relative movement and itwill be understood that any of such connections may be employed .inconjunction with the cover assembly of the present invention. In thepresent drawings one such connection is generally indicated at I la.(Fig. l) but need not be described in 'means of which it is rockablymounted on the bight portion'of the U -shaped spring extension 3|; Inorder to'limit the rocking movement of the shoe with respect to theextension 3| the side members 'of the latter are fitted in grooves 36provided in opposite sides of the shoe.. These grooves constitute curvedcontinuations of the bore and are made slightly flaring towards theirlower ends and of a width suflicient to permit the shoerto have a slightindependent pivotal or rocking'mo'vement. At the inner side of the bore35 the shoe is provided with a flat face 31 adapted to ridethe'flatangularly related cam faces'2la and Zlb of the journal box lug 2!. The

fiat face 3? ensures a substantial area of contact between the'shoe andthe lug while the pivotal mounting of the shoe enables it! to adjustitself. to ensure'proper engagement between the lug and the flat face31, irrespective of variations in the dimensions of the lug, orin theinclination of the V camiaces against which the flat face of the shoe isadapted to. bear; At the opposite or outer side of the bore 35 the shoeis provided with a vertical opening "38 adapted at times to registerwith a similar but slightly larger opening 38 formed in the top wall I!of the hood.

. When the cover assembly of this invention to be applied to the journalbox the U-shaped "extension 3| of the torsion spring I3 is forced .goo,

towards the front wall of the hood until the opening 38 of the shoe isinline with the opening 39 of the hood. A retaining pin is then passedthrough these openings to hold the shoe in its retractedposition. Thecover assembly is then arranged as shownin Fig. 4 with the pintlereceiving sleeves 20 and 20a disposed at opposite sides of the journalbox lug '21 to receive thepintle-22 which is then pushed intoplace andsecured by bending down the tongues 25 of the tubular retainer 24. Thecover assembly is then swung from the position shown in Fig. 4 to theposition shown in Fig. 3. In thislatter position the shoe I4 is engagedby the high point Me of the journal box lug 2|. and is forced towardsthe front wall of the hood a sufiicient distance to relieve the lateralpressure on the retaining pin 40 7 so that the latter can be'easilywithdrawn from the openings 38 and 39.

V The cover'assernbly is then swung to the completely closed positionshown'in Fig. '2.- 'In subsequent manipulation of the lid to its open orclosed positions the pivotal mounting of the. shoe on the springextension 3|, and the fiat lug engaging surface 31 of the shoe enablesthe torsion spring to act more effec- 1 hood when the shoe is forcedback to provide for tively both with respect toholding the lid initsopen orfclosed positions and with respect to ensuring tight closure ofthe lid against the 'mouth portion of the journal box. Thepivotalmounting of the shoe also ensures proper alignment of the shoeopening 38 with the opening 39 of the the application or removal of theretaining pin 40. When the cover assembly is to be removed itjis firstswung from the closed position shown in Fig.2 to the partially openposition shown' in Fig. 3. In'this last position the shoe is forced backby the highpoint 2 I c of the lug 2| so that its pin receiving opening38 registers with the pin receiving opening 39 of the hood. Theretaining pin 40 is then passed through these openings to hold the shoein its retracted position during further movement of the lid assembly tothe position shown in Fig. 4. In this last position it will so that theshoe is thus mounted to have'a slight independent pivotal movement withrespect to said spring. provided with a forwardly projecting horizontalflange Md having a vertical opening Me register- At its upper end theshank Mb is.

ing with a similar opening I41 formed in the@ shank. At the juncture ofthe shank 14b and'the flange Hid the shoe is shaped to provide a'flatface Mh adapted to ride the flat angularly related cam faces 2 id and2th of the journal box lug 2!. The projection Md forms with the curvedouter surface of the shank Mb a recess I 41' in'which the bight portionof the 'U -shape spring extension 3i is fited, as shown to advantage inFig. 10.

When the cover assembly shown in Fig. 10 is swung from the positionshown in this figure to an open position corresponding to that shown inFig. 3, the shoe Ida will be forced towards the front wall of the hooduntil the openings Me and My of the shoe are aligned with the opening 39of the hood. The previously mentioned retaining pin 4!! is then passedthrough these openings to hold the shoe in its retracted position.

The opening movement of the cover assembly" may then be continued untilit reaches a position such as that shown in Fig. llwhere the shoe isentirely removed from the lug so that the pres-' sure of the torsionspring will not interfere with the withdrawal of the hinge pintle 22.The method of applying the cover assembly shown in Figs. 9 and 10 issubstantially the same as that previously described in connection withFigs. 1' to 4'inclusive. V

Having thus fully described what I now'consider to be the preferredembodiment of my invention it will be understood that various minorchanges may be resorted to in the construction and arrangement of theparts within the scope V and spirit of the appended claims. 7

' Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim is:

1. A journal box cover assembly comprising a lid, a hood, a springconfined between the lid and hood, and a' shoe carried by'the springfor. en'- gagement with the lug of a. journal box, said shoe and hoodbeing: provided with complementary openings adapted to be aligned toreceive a re-' movable retaining pin for temporarily holding the shoe ina retracted position against the pres-' lid equipped with a hoodadapted'to fit over the lug of a journal box, a spring comprising spacedcoils located at the upper edge of the lidand bearing against the innersurface of the hood and connected to each other by an upwardlyprojecting extension of inverted U-shape constituting an integralcontinuation of the inner terminal convolutions of the coils andprojecting beyond the said upper edge of the lid, the outer terminalconvolutions of the coils being extended downwardly into engagement withthe central portion of the lid, and a journal box lug engaging shoemounted on the bight portion of said extension so as to be capable of alimited independent pivotal movement, said shoe being formed with a flatlug engaging face.

3. A journal box cover assembly as claimed in claim 2 in which the theshoe and hood are provided with openings adapted to register with eachother when the shoe is retracted to a predetermined position against theresistance of the spring.

4. A journal box cover assembly comprising a lid equipped with a springof approximately invertecl U-shape, and a journal box lug engaging shoeprovided with a fiat lug engaging face and with a horizontal borethrough which the bight portion of the spring extends, the side arms ofthe spring being fitted in flaring grooves formed in the opposite sideof the shoe, said grooves being of sufiicient width to permit a limitedpivotal movement of the shoe on the bight portion of the spring.

5. A journal box cover assembly as claimed in claim 4 including a hoodaffording a housing for the spring and shoe and adapted to partiallyenclose the journal box lug, said hood and shoe being provided withopenings adapted to register with each other when the shoe is retractedto a predetermined position against the resistance of the spring.

6. A journal box lid assembly comprising attached lid and hood members,said hood member having a top wall provided with a vertical opening, aspring comprising laterally spaced coils bearing against the innersurface of the hood member and having their outer terminal convolutionsextended to bear against the central portion of the lid member, theinner terminals of said coils being connected by an upwardly projectingintegral extension of inverted U-shape, a journal box lid engaging shoecomprising a shank embraced by said extension and presenting lateralprojections at its lower end fitted in said coils and a projection atthe upper end of the shank overhanging the spring extension and providedwith a vertical opening adapted, at times, to register with the openingin the top wall of the hood.

7. A journal box lid assembly as claimed in claim 6 in which the shankof the shoe is also provided with a vertical opening in line with theopening formed in said projection.

8. A journal box cover assembly comprising a lid, a hood overlying andprojecting beyond the upper edge of the lid, a spring comprising spacedcoils located adjacent the upper edge of the lid and bearing against theinner opposing surface of the hood, said coils being connected to eachother by a U-shaped extension projecting beyond the upper edge of thelid and constituting an integral continuation of the inner terminalconvolutions of the coils, the outer terminal convolutions of the saidcoils being extended downwardly to bear against the central portion ofthe lid, and a journal box lug engaging shoe presenting an upper portionagainst which the bight of the U-shaped extension bears and a lowerportion provided with lateral trunnions loosely fitted in said coils,said upper portion of the shoe being provided with an opening adapted tobe aligned with an opening in the hood to receive a retaining pin forholding the shoe in a retracted position against the pressure of thespring.

9. A journal box cover assembly comprising a lid, a hood overlying andprojecting beyond the upper edge of the lid, a spring comprising spacedcoils located adjacent the upper edge of the lid and bearing against theinner opposing surface of the hood, said coils being connected to eachother by a U-shaped extension projecting beyond the upper edge of thelid and constituting an integral continuation of the inner terminalconvolutions of the coils, the outer terminal convolutions of the saidcoils being extended downwardly to bear against the central portion ofthe lid, and a journal box lug engaging shoe presenting an upper portionagainst which the bight of the U-shaped extension bears and a lowerportion provided with lateral trunnions loosely fitted in said coils,said upper portion of the shoe terminating in a projection overlying thespring extension and provided with an opening adapted to be aligned withan opening in the top wall of the hood to receive a retaining pin forholding the shoe in a retracted position against the pressure of thespring.

ERNEST R. VIBERG.

